TRENTON — Robert Bartley and Raheem Currie, charged in the murder of 18-year-old James Austin, had their bails reduced by Judge Robert Billmeier on Thursday.
Robert Bartley
Bartley, who is charged with felony murder, murder, possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, saw his bail dropped from $1 million to $750,000.
Currie, who was charged with lesser weapons offenses as an acccomplice in the case, had his bail reduced to $50,000, which he had already posted.
Raheem Currie
Yvonne Maxwell, James Austin’s mother, was upset that Currie made bail.
“One of the boys got released. I want to know how he get bailed on a premeditated murder,” Maxwell said. “I buried my son Monday. He’s released before my son even gets settled in the ground.”
Austin was gunned down while allegedly fighting with another man on the 900 block of East State Street on Feb. 26. His vehicle was found at the scene with the rear windshield shattered.
“My son was going to be a corrections officer on March 6 at the age of 18. These boys don’t even know what a job is, never had a job and don’t even know how to see a job. My son didn’t roll with them, he was a college kid. He was nonviolent, he didn’t fight,” Maxwell added.
“I’m very upset with the system.”